Despite the long history of firearms and the sustained research and development into improvements in both performance and ergonomics, the shape and configuration of a stock for a typical modern sporting rifle is comparable to that of similar weapons many decades earlier. Significant deviations from the archetypal rifle stock shape with a forestock, pistol grip, cheek piece and butt are rare in civilian/sporting weapons and uncommon even in military weapons.
Due in part to the conservative attitudes of shooters in adopting radical weapon developments and in part due to a perception that all possible advantages and refinements in stock ergonomics have been already explored, the focus of much weapon research and development has largely been confined to improvements in materials, propellants, reliability and ease of manufacture. This conservative attitude has also permeated development into the actual firing positions adopted by the shooter. Indeed, shooting technique instruction is often specifically restricted to the classic “positions” such as prone, sitting, kneeling and standing.
However, in these and other shooting positions, conventionally designed weapon stocks do not necessarily afford the shooter an ergonomic aid efficient means of supporting the weapon.
The use of rifles firing conventional ammunition is likely for the foreseeable future. The inherent characteristics of barrel length and weight of such rifles inevitably requires the shooter to support the weapon around the region of the forestock with one hands whilst operating the weapon trigger with the other hands. The support provided by the user's hand is supplemented and/or replaced in various situations by the use of rests, whether attached to the weapon itself, such as a bipod, or provided externally by a fence post and so forth.
The ergonomic shortcomings of typical rifle stock configurations have lead to various stock modifications and or attachments being employed in many target/sniper rifles. By definition, the performance criteria of paramount importance with a target/sniper rifle is that of accuracy. Therefore, in order to provided the greatest consistency between shots, the shooter must be able to maintain the most ergonomically efficient, comfortable and repeatable firing position.
Some target rifles employ adjustable hand grips in the forestock area with which the user supports the rifle with their non-trigger hand These attachments are often adjustable in the vertical and/or horizontal plane. They are however cumbersome and unwieldy for any sporting and/or military application. The ergonomic issues have also been partially, though not fully, addressed by the use of thumbhole stocks, adjustable cheek pieces/combs and adjustable butt plates.
Moreover, many shooters, both military and civilian, require or desire the use of weapon accessories for optional attachment to the weapon. These include items such as bipods, monopods, extra handgrips, sling swivels, weapon sights, spare magazines and so forth. Typical weapon stocks do not cater for efficient attachment of such accessories without compromise to the function or practicality of the weapon and/or accessory.
Therefore, there is a need for an adaptable, practical weapon stock capable of providing an enhanced ergonomic capability for the shooter in a variety of firing positions whilst being capable of enhancing the usability and/or effectiveness of various weapon accessories desired to be utilised by the shooter.
It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.
Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.